Reception teacher told us not to read everyday

[TeaJunky]

Ok, so dd started bringing books home. She initially brought the purple level with no words then progressed onto pink quite quickly. She reads her school reading (phonics) book to me everyday and as the reading book is changed only once a week, she began to find this boring quite quickly.

I wrongly assumed that she is perhaps ready for something more challenging and I wrote this in her reading record.

Dd's reception teacher called me in at the end of the day and proceeded to show me the whole reading scheme on the trolley and explain that it only consisted of 500 words and the whole point of it was to achieve fluency blah blah (I already know all this). She said dd had been tried out on some 'harder' books and struggled with them hence she stayed on pink.
That was fine by me, so I suggested that she perhaps needed a new book more often as she read everyday. The teacher said 'really, don't read everyday because it can get boring really quickly'.
I pointed out that it actually wasn't me pushing dd to sit down and read, it was her bringing her book bag from her room and literally dragging me onto the sofa to read - she said 'honestly, don't let her do it everyday'

What ?!

The second thing that worried me about the whole conversation was the fact that the reading scheme only went up to level red, so the whole of the reading scheme was only three levels; purple (pre words), pink and red. She said that's the highest they can go in reception on the scheme.

Am I right to feel that this is a very limiting and pre-determined scheme with no room for differentiation or individual progression?

This is a highly thought of school and we are happy with everything else but the whole reading convo we had seems so bizarre.

thoughts ?

Exactly. Which is why I said the 'rule' doesn't match the philosophy that every child is different.

And does your 'data' measure enjoyment, pi8er?

Very true!

It works for us and the children enjoy it.

We like that parents don't feel pressured into reading the scheme book every single night and they can work at it at their own pace/reading stamina of the child during the week.

These children are 4/5, they are just babies! There is enough pressure on Reception children already and a full day is often exhausting for them. I like that they have can go home and are able to switch off. Whether it be read (scheme book, story book or magazine) or do whatever they choose without added pressure from the teacher to do this, that and the other.

No they can't work at their own pace! They can only work at the pace of one book per week because that is what you issue!

Read books from home in between and do what the teacher wants, it's easier in the end.

pie

It's lovely that a teacher actually realises that kids get tired and the pressure is too much sometimes and the idea that they shouldn't read every night if they don't want to is a good one. I agree as homework at school is just too much IMO.

I do wondersome of your children would get bored or feel restricted with just book a week given that not every child has access to books outside if school. There must be some kids who get bored or certainly will of policy stays the same. Can I just ask what happened with kids who read other stuff at home daily and perhaps make massive jumps In between the books you issue?

But thank you for realising that the children don't need a ton of extra work on too of school. I agree there is too much :)

Yes - that's your pace, and partly because, by your own admission, you 'don't have time'. Not their own pace at all.

Having a policy of changing books when the child is ready doesn't mean the child has to read every night it just means those children who do read more often don't have to read the same book over and over but it does depend on the school having plenty of suitable books.

Thank you Giles

The children are able to change their story book as often as they wish and are able to take any book from the reading area. They are able to choose a traditional tale, picture book, decodable reader, magazine etc. The only book that stays the same is the scheme book.
We also use different books for guided reading, modeled reading and shared reading sessions.

Feenie I could change how I do things and spend more time changing reading books but I prefer to distribute my time evenly across the whole curriculum. In my many years of teaching, I have often subject coordinators like class teachers to spend a disproportionate amount of time on their subject. Just like the Maths coordinator likes lots of time focusing on maths and the writing coordinator expects a huge proportion of the timetable to be spent writing. As an EY's leader I prefer a more holistic approach.

In my many years of teaching, I have often subject coordinators like class teachers to spend a disproportionate amount of time on their subject.

It can't be disproportionate though, can it, since reading will be necessary to access most of the curriculum.

Writing coordinator?

Writing coordinator? Sorry if you find it confusing that we have a writing coordinator.

Yes, reading is necessary but it doesn't need to be the main focus in Reception.

This 1 scheme book a week thing is something I've only ever seen on MN. I don't think I've ever been in a school that actually does it. I can't quite get my head round it.

Pie8er have you considered changing the books once a week and sending more than one home at once. My nieces school change once a week but send home 3-6 at once depending on the level. The expectation is that they will read for 5-10mins 4 nights out of 7 but it gives them the opportunity to read more if they want. Admittedly, it does rely on having a large supply of scheme books.

Has anyone suggested it should be the main focus in any year group? People are saying that a blanket policy of changing home reading books once a week is not following the EYFS ethos of personalised learning and meeting the needs of individual children.

This 1 scheme book a week thing is something I've only ever seen on MN. I don't think I've ever been in a school that actually does it. I can't quite get my head round it.

^^This. I can't get my head around having 'rules' about reading full stop, tbh.

No, never heard of a writing coordinator - I wouldn't see it as being so separate from reading that it needed its own person in charge.

My daughter liked having a few books at once at Reception age, as it meant she could pick what she fancied reading that particular evening.

As for it taking a long time to change books, I don't quite understand why. I go into school to change books and hear readers and so do lots of other parents. There is therefore an opportunity for children to change their books every day if they wish to. Because they can change them whenever they want to, it doesn't take long each time and of the two hours I spend at school in an afternoon, it typically only takes me ten to twenty minutes to facilitate book-changing for all the children who want to do so - sometimes only five or six, sometimes 18 or 20. It did take a little longer in Reception but only because children wanted me to read them the titles so that they could make an informed choice.

We don't have enough ORT books for children to take home more than one a night. However, as I have stated previously, children are able to choose books from the reading area as often as they wish. This selection includes, fiction, non-fiction and older scheme books that match their phase in phonics.

We have a separate reading and writing coordinator - seen it in a few schools.

How did I know your policy was going to be based on availability of books and that they were going to be using ORT books!!

Are they only expected to read the book on one night, or do you expect them to read it several times?

I'm not sure anybody needs the torture of 'oh Floppy, no Floppy' being read repeatedly.

That just seems crazy to me OP. My dad is a teacher and is a firm believer in getting children interested in reading (whatever they are into) and letting them read as much as they want. Nurturing a love of reading is a good thing, she shouldn't be discouraged to read if she wants to.
Is taking her to library and letting her pick out books an option? It used to be a highlight of our week when we were kids.

Which older scheme books would match their phase in phonics?

Yes, it was entirely predictable, wasn't it, mrz?

I wish I was as certain of winning the lottery Feenie

Yes, I don't love the books either but I didn't buy them so shoot me

They aren't necessarily older - I was stuck for want of a better word.

Off the top of my head we have Phonics Bug and Project X books.

I have seen people use ORT to refer to songbirds or the Floppy's phonics books so she may not be using the older scheme.

Is there any reason you don't use them as home readers?